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Two Local Men Jailed For Dealing Class A Drugs In Dunstable

Two men have been sentenced to a total of nearly nine years in prison for dealing Class A drugs in Dunstable.

Richard Foster, 41, of Chelsea Gardens, Houghton Regis, was sentenced to four years and eight months in jail after pleading guilty to a conspiracy to supply a Class A drug, namely crack cocaine.

He also pleaded guilty to possession of criminal property.

At Luton Crown Court on Friday Howard Powell, 46, of Farley Fields, Luton, also pleaded guilty to the conspiracy to supply crack cocaine. He was sentenced to four years in prison.

The two men were arrested following a raid by Bedfordshire Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) at a property in New Woodfield Green, Dunstable in August.

Foster attempted to flee officers and threw a bag of cannabis into a neighbouring property’s garden before he gave himself up. The two were found with more than £1,000 cash in their possession.

Officers identified this property in Dunstable as the base for the pair’s drug dealing enterprise in the town, known as the Richie Line.

Searches of this and other properties linked to Foster and Powell recovered a significant amount of crack cocaine ready for distribution, numerous mobile phones and more than £12,000 in cash.

The main phone linked to the Richie Line received 4,373 calls between 14 June and 12 July this year, with just 656 outgoing calls.

Detective Inspector Justin Dipper, from the force’s SOCU, said: “Foster and Powell were ruthless drug dealers from Luton, who set up a crack house in Dunstable to try and avoid being caught where they were well known.

“Our investigation established they were major suppliers of Class A drugs in Dunstable and it is testament to the quality and professionalism of our team that we were able to dismantle their criminal enterprise so comprehensively.

“We have taken a significant supply of drugs off the streets of Bedfordshire, and their sentences should serve as a warning to those involved or considering a life in this type of criminality.

“We urge the public to continue to report their suspicions of drug supply, so we can tackle those who profit from this illegal trade.”

If you know or suspect drugs activity is happening please call us on 101 or visit our online reporting centre. All this information is fed into our intelligence systems and plays a big part in tackling organised crime.

You can also report suspicious activity to Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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